prosperous age

"Eunuch Zhang, what brings you here?"

At Zhang Siwei's residence, he personally welcomed a mysterious person who was wearing a cloak and whose entire body was completely covered through the side gate.

"Zhang Xiang, may I have a place to talk?"

The mysterious man whispered something, and Zhang Siwei understood. He immediately led him into the mansion and sat down in a secret room.

Zhang Siwei personally accepted the tea brought by the butler from the doorway and instructed him to keep watch nearby and not allow anyone to approach the area before carrying the tea back to the table.

"Eunuch Zhang, have some tea."

Zhang Siwei placed the tea in front of the mysterious man and himself before sitting down.

At this point, the mysterious man finally removed his cloak, revealing his face—a face with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks; who else could it be but Zhang Jing?

"It's all because of Cao Yikui's memorial. We've been talking for so long, why haven't you made any move yet? Instead, someone else has made the first move."

Zhang Jing looked at Zhang Siwei with a mocking expression.

Foreign officials, in the presence of eunuchs, seemed to be naturally inferior to the emperor because of their relationship with him.

Even though Zhang Juzheng wielded immense power in the court, he still relied heavily on Feng Bao.

Zhang Juzheng could only persuade the emperor, but Feng Bao could indeed persuade the emperor and the empress dowager, something that officials outside the capital could not naturally match.

At this time, Zhang Siwei, the second-ranking Grand Secretary, was in a subordinate position to Zhang Jing, a mere sixth-rank eunuch serving the emperor.

Although in public they all spoke with righteous indignation, saying "Eunuchs deserve to die a horrible death" and "Eunuch dogs wreak havoc on the court," completely looking down on eunuchs, in private interactions, even if they didn't grovel, they treated them with utmost courtesy and would never dare to utter a word that would offend anyone.

It's hard to say whether Zhang Siwei was wavering between impeaching Feng Bao and ousting Zhang, which allowed Feng Bao to seize the initiative.

But since Zhang Jing is here, he must be here to offer advice.

"Ziwei still needs to consult with Eunuch Zhang about what to do now."

Zhang Siwei has already arranged for people to submit a memorial the day after tomorrow, beginning to attack Feng Bao.

Not tomorrow, because he needed time to observe the court's reaction to the impeachment of Wang Guoguang.

Everyone knows that Wang Guoguang was Zhang Juzheng's staunch confidant.

By observing everyone's attitude towards Wang Guoguang's impeachment, one can roughly analyze which side the court officials would support in the event of Zhang's downfall.

Those who act justly gain abundant support, while those who act unjustly find themselves isolated. Although feudal dynasties emphasized the supremacy of imperial power, emperors often had to consider the attitudes of their officials and could not directly oppose the court.

The Zhengde Emperor of that time was a typical example.

He had almost no support in the court, only some generals on the frontier. As for the outcome...
Zhang Jing didn't answer immediately. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said, "Tell me your arrangements, Prime Minister Zhang. I'm all ears."

Since Zhang Jing didn't answer directly, Zhang Siwei had no choice but to reveal his intention to impeach Feng Bao the day after tomorrow.

"The day after tomorrow?"

Upon hearing Zhang Siwei's words, Zhang Jing frowned slightly.

"Since Eunuch Feng has shot the arrow at the Ministry of Personnel, why not take this opportunity to expel him from the court?"

Zhang Siwei whispered a reminder.

Zhang Jing then realized that, after all, he was not from the Inner Academy and had not been taught by Hanlin scholars. In fact, such people often rely on their cleverness to do things and lack foresight. When faced with important matters, they often make mistakes.

Of course, it's not to say that those who came from the Inner Academy were without any drawbacks. In fact, short-sightedness was not an isolated phenomenon during this period of the Ming Dynasty, but rather almost universal. Only a handful of people opened their eyes to the world and considered the future of the country in a comprehensive way.

"Well, that's fine."

Zhang Jing nodded immediately, then said seriously, "Since Prime Minister Zhang already has a plan, I will not say anything more."

"No, please speak freely, Eunuch Zhang. Two heads are better than one."

If Eunuch Zhang notices anything amiss, please point it out promptly.

Zhang Siwei immediately said.

"I came here this time to check on the matter I discussed with you last time. We haven't received the memorial yet, and someone else has already taken the lead, so I came to take a look."

Zhang Jing spoke up.

“Eunuch Zhang, it won’t be easy to bring him down. We must devise a meticulous plan and strive for a decisive blow.”

During this period, I had already made arrangements, and they were constantly refining and polishing the memorial.

However, I still worry that even if His Majesty sees through his evil intentions after the memorial is submitted, he might be unwilling to take action due to their long-standing relationship.

Zhang Siwei suddenly said something to Zhang Jing, then stared at him intently, carefully observing the subtle expressions on Zhang Jing's face.

Zhang Jing's visit this time is strange. He has never come here before. We always meet at the theater when we have business.

Although there are many people and lots of gossip in that place, at least if someone sees it, they won't be accused of secretly colluding.

It's just that we all like listening to opera, and since we ended up together, we decided to watch an opera together.

"Finish the memorial as soon as possible and submit it. His Majesty will handle it properly."

Zhang Jing himself didn't realize that the purpose of his trip had actually been revealed in this sentence.

At this moment, Zhang Siwei finally breathed a sigh of relief; his guess was correct.

The emperor not only harbored resentment towards Zhang Juzheng, but also towards Feng Bao, and it's even possible that he harbored hatred towards him.

After that, the two stopped talking about politics and instead tried to chat about light topics, even agreeing on a time to go to the theater next time.

After Wei Guangde saw the others off, Zhang Ji whispered to Wei Guangde that a cloaked figure had entered Zhang Siwei's residence.

"cloak."

Wei Guangde couldn't help but stick his teeth out; it was obvious that this person was either an official with a sensitive status or a eunuch from the palace.

At this point, the one who needs to discreetly go to Zhang Siwei's residence is most likely that dead eunuch Zhang Jing.

Chen Ju was dressed like this when he first came here.

"Keep an eye on it. It would be best if we could find out who it is."

Wei Guangde gave the instructions.

In fact, once a trace is missed, it is easy to verify.

Even if you can't see the face hidden inside the cloak, the carriage and the coachman are still there.

As long as we keep an eye on whose yard they finally enter, the identity of the cloaked mystery man will become obvious.

In reality, this secretive cover-up is just for psychological comfort; it's not a true secret.

Unless the carriage was hired from outside and the driver wasn't one of their own.

However, these days, people who travel by horse-drawn carriage might not dare to entrust their lives and fortunes to strangers.

After Zhang Ji left, Wei Guangde muttered to himself, "I hope it was Zhang Hong who arranged it, otherwise it's really troublesome."

Wei Guangde knew Zhang Jing; he relied on flattery to please the emperor and was surprisingly trusted enough to stay by the emperor's side.

However, apart from sending trinkets to the Wanli Emperor, Zhang Jing usually didn't stand out and didn't make any major mistakes.

Moreover, Zhang Jing has his godfather Zhang Hong behind him.

Wei Guangde knew Zhang Hong quite well, firstly through his own observations, and secondly through Chen Ju's introduction.

In the palace, Zhang Hong is considered an upright man, which is why he and Feng Bao have been able to coexist peacefully for the past ten years.

It's true that Feng Bao was greedy, but it doesn't mean he did anything illegal; his purpose was simply to amass wealth.

However, these kinds of things weren't just done by Feng Bao; officials outside the ministry also engaged in similar practices behind the scenes. For example, officials in the Ministry of Personnel manipulated the process of promotions, demotions, and transfers of officials.

Even when the Censorate went out, they did not confiscate any money they had embezzled.

It can only be said that each government department has its own way of making money.

Eunuchs had no power over the previous dynasty, but they still wanted a share of the pie, so they made their money through Zhang Juzheng.

If there are any mistakes, then yes, there are.

But if they are punished for this, the outer court is probably more worried that these things will come out and implicate them.

Feng Bao was praised by later generations for sacrificing minor details for the greater good.

He made mistakes, but his contributions were also significant.

Therefore, within the inner court alone, Zhang Hong and Feng Bao were still able to cooperate closely.

Meanwhile, back in the palace, Zhang Hong heard from the eunuchs he had sent out that they had not found Zhang Jing, and that the palace gate guards said that Zhang Jing had left the palace an hour ago.

Despite Zhang Jing's current prominent position and long-term service to the emperor, his rise to power was relatively recent and he lacked a solid foundation.

Once outside the palace, there was nothing there.

He now only has a small courtyard house in the inner city, which was given to him by Zhang Siwei as a gift to get to know him.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, Zhang Jing would stay in the palace to rest and would not usually leave the palace to live.

"Grandpa, should I take the sign and go look for it?"

The eunuch asked in a low voice.

"No need. The palace gates are locked. Going out now would only cause trouble."

Go there first thing tomorrow morning, and when he gets back, tell him to come see me immediately.

Zhang Hong simply gave the order and waved for the eunuch to leave.

Zhang Hong is a graduate of the Imperial Academy, possessing exceptional management skills and a certain political acumen.

If he had been indifferent to the foreign court before, that would have been one thing, but recently the foreign court has been turbulent and the atmosphere is very abnormal, so how could he not see it?

It's often said that the palace is a giant sieve, but the real reason is that there are so many people serving the nobles in the palace that everyone tries to find ways to send people there to serve them and gather information.

To become a high-ranking eunuch, one naturally needs to be well-informed.

Zhang Hong had many godson, godson, and disciples and grand-disciples, who were either assigned to serve in various palace halls or to work in the twenty-four government offices.

Some held real power, while others held nominal positions, but they could gather information for him.

Unfortunately, some of the conversations Zhang Jing had with the Wanli Emperor in the inner palace were overheard by Zhang Hong's disciples and followers.

Although the content was incomplete, it was easy for Zhang Hong to connect the dots when he heard it repeating itself.

Zhang Hong couldn't believe that his godson was so bold as to instigate the Emperor to deal with Feng Bao.

Thinking of the record on the paper offering, Emperor Wanli was worried about punishing Feng Bao. When Feng Bao came to the Qianqing Palace to question him about what to do, Zhang Jing actually said that since the eunuch had received the imperial decree, he would not dare to disobey.

Zhang Hong felt a throbbing pain in his temples whenever he thought about those conversations.

These words were naturally true for loyal eunuchs; only those with ulterior motives would show resentment.

Zhang Jing saw through Feng Bao's loyalty, which is why he used this to control Feng Bao.

To be honest, if Feng Bao is investigated, he will definitely commit a crime.

The amount of money he has received over the years is probably staggering; even if he had ten mouths, he couldn't explain the legitimate source of so much wealth.

However, Feng Bao was loyal to the royal family, had integrity, and still retained some of the intellectual airs of a scholar.

Zhang Hong sought out Zhang Jing tonight to discuss this matter, forbidding him from getting involved further and, more importantly, from instigating the emperor to punish Feng Bao.

Although he would benefit from Fung Po's downfall and take Fung Po's place.

But Zhang Hong really looked down on and didn't want a position obtained through such scheming and trickery.

Zhang Jing stayed at Zhang Siwei's residence until very late. The two of them even ordered the kitchen to prepare a late-night snack, and then invited the singers and dancers from the residence to drink, listen to music, and watch dances in the flower hall, enjoying themselves immensely.

Wei Guangde heard the news early the next morning at the breakfast table.

"The man left the Zhang residence and went to Anjia Hutong in Xiaoshiyongfang. That was the courtyard that Zhang Jing, the eunuch, had given to him by Zhang Xiang."

Zhang Ji whispered something in Wei Guangde's ear.

"understood."

Wei Guangde already knew, so he didn't show any other reaction, just nodded and continued eating.

After finishing his meal, Wei Guangde wiped his mouth, then went back to his room to change into his official robes before heading out to the cabinet to carry out his duties.

As we entered the palace gates and headed towards the Inner Cabinet, a young eunuch suddenly stepped forward and stood respectfully to the side when we were almost at the Inner Cabinet's gate.

"Oh, Eunuch Liu, what are you doing here?"

The visitor was someone Wei Guangde recognized: Liu Ruoyu, Chen Ju's godson.

His presence here was clearly at Chen Ju's behest, to come and speak to him.

"Your Excellency, I have a letter from your godfather here."

Liu Ruoyu took out a piece of paper from his pocket. It was folded without an envelope, and he handed it to Wei Guangde.

Upon receiving the letter, Wei Guangde did not immediately open it to read its contents, but simply smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Immediately, Wei Guangde took out a small purse from his sleeve and tossed it to him, then turned and walked towards the cabinet.

Liu Ruoyu happily accepted the purse that Wei Guangde tossed to her; hmm, it was a bit heavy.

I weighed it slightly and estimated it to be about five ounces.

Opening one corner of the purse, there were five one-tael Ming Tongbao coins inside. However, the coins were yellow instead of the silver ones that circulated among the common people.

Liu Ruoyu's smile widened. This was five taels of gold coins, which, according to the current exchange rate, was probably worth thirty or forty taels of silver.

The Ministry of Revenue had begun minting gold coins, but they were not put into circulation. After minting, they were stored in the Ever-Prosperous Treasury.

As for the Ming Tongbao coins that were also made of gold in private hands, those were not from normal circulation, but were exchanged by merchants using their own gold according to its purity.

Previously, collecting large quantities of gold from the market through various channels was just one method.

Everyone knows that every household keeps some kind of gold ingots.

Aside from gold jewelry, many of these gold ingots are now being exchanged for gold coins at the Baoyuan Bureau.

At present, loose silver coins are no longer circulating in private transactions in the Ming Dynasty. Because there is no fixed purity of silver, many merchants will give a discount after confirming the purity when they see customers taking out silver instead of silver coins.

They were really unwilling to accept loose silver coins; even farmers preferred to accept small silver coins rather than dark, hard lumps of silver.

A silver nugget might be something with very low purity, but a silver coin would not.

Now, whether it's privately minting copper or silver coins, it's a capital offense. The fifth year of the Wanli reign is the dividing line; anything before that is wiped clean, but anything after that will result in confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan.

A small silver coin worth one qian (approximately 3.3 grams) was equivalent to 70 copper coins. It was very convenient to carry and use, and paying taxes with Tongbao (a type of copper coin) eliminated the risk of loss due to fire, making it very economical. Therefore, it was widely circulated in the Ming Dynasty.

"hey-hey."

Liu Ruoyu happily pocketed the gold coins he received before heading towards the Directorate of Ceremonial. (End of Chapter)